The Devil Is a Lie

by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

  Todd still didn’t feel right. He was claiming the money because of his grandmother. But then why were images of everything else he could do with the money starting to fill his head? He shook off those thoughts. The lure of all that money was calling him like a siren, not to mention Pam’s incessant discussions about everything they were going to do with it.

  “You know, Pam, I don’t know about this,” Todd said as they reached the door. “I mean, we hurt Nina enough.”

  She spun around and shot him an icy look. “Boy, are you crazy? I don’t care about Nina.”

  “Obviously. But it’s just not right.”

  “Let me tell you what’s not right,” she huffed. “Not right is sitting up here in the dark because we don’t have money for the electric bill. Not right is us robbing from Peewee to pay Pinky, scrimping and scratching and still not able to get ahead. This broke lifestyle, this ain’t what I bargained for.”

  Todd wasn’t going to be lectured about their poverty. “I work my butt off,” he pointed out, not for the first time. We wouldn’t be broke if you got a job. Or here’s an idea: stop spending money like you ain’t got good sense.”

  Checking the hall mirror, she began fluffing out her loose, bouncy curls. “Look, you knew when you were dating me that I was used to finer things. I tried to hang in there when you lost your job with the radio station. I even put up with you being some two-bit deliveryman in that ugly brown uniform. I was ashamed to even let my girls know what you did. But did I leave? No, I hung in there, hoping things would get better. Well, this is better. Now that we have the chance to live the good life, you are not going to mess that up.”

  That was her version, he thought darkly. Lincoln’s words rang in his ears. Just leave her. But doing that would be like admitting he’d destroyed his marriage for nothing. Todd was positive that’s why he continued to hang in there with Pam. Their relationship couldn’t fail, not after everything he’d sacrificed for her.

  Pam realized she was making him mad, and she lowered her voice. “Baby, okay, you feel bad. That’s cute. But if you can’t do this for yourself—or for me, for that matter—think of your poor, helpless grandmother.” Pam sadly poked out her bottom lip. “I mean, she’s such a nice old lady and her mind is turning to mush. Didn’t you hear the doctor say she could hurt herself? Do you think you’d ever be able to forgive yourself if she went off the deep end and did something drastic?”

  Todd knew she was playing with his emotions, but the bottom line was, she was right. He would do anything for that new heart.

  Pam continued. “Todd, it’s dang near nine million dollars, for Christ’s sake. You’re only taking four. It’s not like you’re leaving Nina penniless.”

  Todd took a deep breath. Pam had a point. Four million dollars was still a lot, and with his investment savvy, he was sure his money would make money. “Okay, I can understand laying claim to half the money,” he said, trying to appeal to her sense of reason. “It’s just showing up at the lottery office, I don’t like that.”

  She patted him on the cheek. “You have a conscience. That’s sweet. God will bless you for that. Now let’s go before we miss them.” She strutted toward the door.

  Todd didn’t appreciate being treated like a little boy. “I still don’t understand how you were able to find out what time she’s supposed to pick up her check.”

  “Sweetie, you can find out anything for the right amount of money.” She winked and headed out the door.

  Once again, Todd wanted to remind her that they didn’t have a dime yet, but he knew it would be useless, so he didn’t bother wasting his breath.

  “Okay,” he muttered, “let’s go steal from the rich.”

  12

  “Are you ready, baby?” Nina called out to Rick as she descended the stairs. He’d spent all day yesterday trying to reassure her that he had nothing going on with Dior. Eventually, Nina decided to just let it go because she didn’t have any proof of anything, and she didn’t want to spoil this happy time in their life with some unfounded jealousy.

  Nina took one last look around the house. When they returned, their lives would be changed forever. She liked her two-thousand-square-foot house, but no doubt about it, they were going to move to a bigger house in a better neighborhood, in a gated community. Maybe they’d keep this one and rent it out, Nina thought. She’d bought this place after she and Todd divorced, and she didn’t want to completely get rid of it.

  “Do you have the bags packed?” she asked.

  “Everything’s packed,” he replied. “Bahamas, here we come.”

  Rick had been wonderful, pulling together this vacation at the last minute. She didn’t even want to know how much the last-minute trip cost. Nina would’ve preferred a more exotic destination, but for some reason, Rick loved the Bahamas. She didn’t care where they got married, as long as they got married.

  Nina smiled as she picked a piece of lint off Rick’s shirt. “Are you sure we shouldn’t wait until we have cash in hand before we start going off on vacations?” Nina knew she’d been saying that a lot, but she was the practical one in their relationship, and she felt nervous about spending money they didn’t have. “And like you said, the bank is going to put a hold on the check for a few days.”

  “Would you stop worrying? That’s why we’re using the credit cards. I have a few hundred in cash. The rest we’re charging. In thirty days we’ll have the balance paid in full. Besides, with all of your relatives creeping around, we need to get away.”

  With the exception of his late brother, Rick didn’t have any family. His mother and father had been only children and they were both dead. Rick understood her wanting to give some money to her grandmother, but he definitely wasn’t feeling all of the “extra relatives.” And there had been plenty of those. Yvonne had come back twice, as had two more cousins, an uncle, an old family friend, and the lady who used to babysit Nina when she was eight. Nina didn’t realize all these people even knew where she lived.

  “I still feel bad about not having Michelle there for the wedding,” Nina said.

  “This is just for me and you. When we get back we’ll have a lavish celebration, okay?”

  “That sounds good,” Nina said, knowing her best friend would understand.

  “All right, let’s go,” Rick said, taking her hand and leading her out.

  Nina couldn’t help it, she was grinning like crazy, mainly because she was so excited. They were minutes away from realizing their wildest dreams.

  They rode to the lottery office in silence, both of them processing how their lives were about to change. Neither of them said a word until they pulled into the parking lot.

  “There’s Walter,” Nina said, noticing the new attorney she’d hired standing in front of the building. He was wearing an expensive, well-tailored navy pin-striped suit. His face was clean-shaven and his curly blond hair had movie-star appeal. The accountant she’d also hired was standing next to Walter, looking just as distinguished.

  “Oh yeah, they look like they are all about business,” Rick said.

  “That’s what I like about both of them,” Nina said as they swung into a parking space. Rick got out, opened her door, and helped her out of the car.

  “We should’ve rented a limo like those people,” Rick said as they walked past a white stretch Hummer, which was parked directly in front of the building.

  “Yeah, right. We’re not going overboard,” Nina warned. “We’re splurging for the Bahamas trip, but that’s it. We’re not going to be one of those people who are broke in two years.”

  Rick peered into the windshield of the limo. “Yeah, they came in style to get their money. This is how we should’ve been rollin’.” He laughed.

  “Talk about excessive. That’s ridiculous,” Nina said, shaking her head.

  After exchanging greetings with the attorney and accountant, Nina led the way into the building. Her heart was starting to beat faster. Each step was taking her closer to nearly nine million
dollars.

  “Hi, we’re here to see Beverly Hartwell,” Nina told the receptionist once they entered the lobby.

  “Please have a seat. I’ll let her know you’re here,” the receptionist replied.

  “Thank you,” Nina said. They took a seat in the lobby, and silence once again filled the room.

  Nina picked up Texas Monthly magazine off the coffee table and began flipping through the pages. She settled on an article about lotto winners. She had become engrossed in one story about a man whose life spiraled out of control after he won 35 million dollars when Mrs. Hartwell appeared in the lobby. Nina stood, quickly dismissing the depressing article from her mind. She greeted Mrs. Hartwell with a huge grin, which was not returned.

  “Hi,” Nina said, wondering why the woman was being such a killjoy. “I’m Nina Lawson. This is my fiancé, Rick, and my counsel. We have an appointment with you today.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Lawson. Ummm…” Mrs. Hartwell looked distressed as her eyes danced back and forth between Nina and her attorney.

  “Are you okay?” Nina asked.

  “I’m fine.” Mrs. Hartwell inhaled deeply. “You, on the other hand, I don’t know if you will be.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “We have a problem.” Mrs. Hartwell glanced around the empty lobby, then whispered, “Maybe we should go into the conference room.”

  Nina exchanged glances with Rick. He seemed just as confused. The winning ticket had been validated and Nina knew she didn’t owe the IRS or have any liens, so she didn’t know what kind of problem there could possibly be.

  Nina followed the woman into the conference room. She was just about to demand an explanation when the sight of her ex-husband seated at the long table caused her to stop in her tracks.

  “Todd?” she said, stunned. “What are you doing here?”

  Todd dropped his gaze and began fiddling with his fingers. Then Nina noticed who was sitting to the right of him. She almost fell over at the sight of the one woman in this world who she absolutely, positively could not stand.

  Pam had a big, cheesy grin on her face and looked like ghetto royalty. All of the painful feelings Nina thought she’d buried forever came rushing back.

  “Mrs. Hartwell, do you mind telling me what’s going on?” Nina said, also spotting the slick-looking Italian man sitting next to Todd and Pam.

  “It appears we have a huge problem,” Mrs. Hartwell said nervously.

  “And what kind of problem would that be?” Rick interjected, speaking up but keeping his eyes on Todd. They’d met once, right after Rick moved in with Nina. Drunk, Todd had shown up on Nina’s doorstep professing his love for her. Of course, she’d cursed him out and sent him on his way, but not before he and Rick nearly came to blows.

  “Well, this couple is here to claim half the money,” Mrs. Hartwell said.

  Nina’s eyes grew wide. She stared at Todd. “What? That is insane. What makes him think I would give him a dime?”

  “We don’t think, we know,” Pam said coolly.

  Todd shot her a look to shut her up. She didn’t seem to care.

  “I don’t understand, Mrs. Hartwell,” Nina said. She wanted to give Pam a piece of her mind, but first she had to figure out what the heck was going on. “Todd and I are divorced,” Nina continued. “We have been divorced for over a year. He has no claim to this money. He has no right to even be here.”

  The Italian man spoke up. “I would beg to differ.” He opened his briefcase, pulled out some papers, and slid them down the table toward Nina. “I’m Ronald Behar, Esquire. I represent Mr. Todd Lawson, and according to these documents, the divorce between my client and yourself was never properly executed. You are, therefore, still legally married.”

  “What?” Nina picked up the papers and scanned them in shock. It looked like a court order, but her head was spinning and she could barely make out the words.

  “You’re still married,” Pam said with a sinister grin. “And that means my boo needs his half of the money. Then we’ll be on our way.”

  Nina felt her knees weakening as she read the paper.

  “That is an official court document. You’ll notice on line three, a divorce was initiated in February of 2008, yet it was never finalized,” Mr. Behar said.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Nina said, tossing the paper back on the table. “Our divorce was finalized.”

  “Not,” Pam chirped.

  “I’m sorry, it was not,” Mr. Behar reiterated. “Hence, my client is entitled to half of the lottery winnings.” He turned to Mrs. Hartwell and handed her some papers. “Here is their marriage certificate, as well as a copy of the paperwork I just gave Mrs. Lawson.”

  “Oh, my,” Mrs. Hartwell said as she took the pages.

  “This is crazy,” Nina protested. “We are divorced. He left me to go be with that tramp.” She pointed at Pam.

  “That’s rich tramp to you,” Pam remarked snidely. She was taking tremendous pleasure in all of this.

  Nina couldn’t help it. She had been patient and restrained in dealing with this heifer, but enough was enough. Months of pent-up anger sent her lunging toward Pam. Her hand meant to slap Pam’s head, but Nina’s attorney stepped in between them, grabbing Nina’s arm.

  “Naw, let her go!” Pam yelled, standing up so hard her chair toppled over. “Let her hit me, ’cause then we gon’ take her half when I sue her!”

  “Pam!” Todd admonished, pulling her arm away as he also stood up.

  She jerked her arm away. “Don’t ‘Pam’ me.” She took a deep breath to calm herself before smoothing her skirt. “Got me actin’ a fool in my Versace,” Pam hissed.

  “Mrs. Hartwell,” Nina’s attorney said, finally speaking up. “Obviously, this is a misunderstanding. My client has the winning ticket. It’s been validated, and she would like to claim her money.”

  “I’m sorry, but it’s not that simple,” Mrs. Hartwell meekly replied.

  Mr. Behar pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to Mrs. Hartwell. “As you will see, this is another court order, freezing the disbursement of any monies until this matter is resolved.”

  How did they get a court order so fast? Nina wondered. She was supposed to go pick up a marriage certificate, check in hand. There was no way this could be happening to her. She couldn’t still be married to Todd. But from the way he refused to look at her, the victorious look on Pam’s face, and the dollar signs dancing in Mr. Behar’s eyes, she knew she was definitely still married.

  Nina wanted to cry as she glanced over at the stunned and angry expression on Rick’s face. How had the best day of her life turned into the biggest nightmare ever?

  13

  “How many times do I have to say I’m sorry?” Nina apologized for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  Rick glared at her but didn’t answer as he pulled the car into the driveway. He jumped out and stormed toward the house. He’d been silent the entire ride home. Nina knew he was furious because he wouldn’t talk to her. Whenever he was this angry—which was rarely—he waited until he calmed down before talking to her.

  “Rick, I’m just as shocked as you are. I honestly thought the divorce was finalized,” she said once they were inside. She had already told him that on the drive home, but since thirty minutes had passed, she hoped they could talk rationally now.

  “How could you not know?” he said, finally spinning toward her. His face was creased with anger. “I mean, that’s some ghetto mess there. How could you not know your divorce hadn’t been finalized?”

  Nina had been trying to figure out that question on the entire drive home. If she hadn’t seen the paperwork herself, she would’ve sworn it was a scam. Nina was emotionally messed up with the whole divorce to begin with. In her heart she hadn’t wanted it, but she knew she’d never be able to forgive the pain of Todd’s betrayal, especially with Pam’s constant harassment.

  Although she’d kicked him out of the house, Todd had been the one who ultimately filed f
or the divorce. Todd’s cousin Shari, whom Nina still kept in touch with, had told her that Pam had insisted he do it. But the bottom line remained, he’d had her served. They didn’t have any assets other than a few thousand dollars in their checking and savings accounts, which he’d let her have without complaint. She’d signed the divorce papers, sent them back to him, and hadn’t thought any more about it, especially once Shari told her that he and Pam were getting married.

  “I mean, you have a college education.” Rick’s ranting snapped her back to the conversation. “Wouldn’t it dawn on you, ‘Hey, maybe I need some type of official divorce decree’?”

  “I was just so messed up behind the divorce, I wasn’t thinking clearly,” she confessed. “After I signed the papers, I talked to Todd. He told me he’d received them and everything was settled.”

  Rick tossed his car keys on the bar with a loud clatter. Exasperation filled his voice. “And you just took him at his word?” he asked like she was the dumbest person on earth.

  Nina nodded in shame.

  Rick shook his head, totally disgusted. “So, I guess we would’ve been in the Bahamas getting married for nothing. It wouldn’t have been valid because you’re still married!” He scowled at her. “You. Are. Still. Married!” he repeated as if she didn’t already get that.

  The tears Nina had been holding back came pouring out. Although her tears were real, she hoped that Rick would show some sympathy, but he just continued looking at her like she made him sick.

  He seemed relieved when his cell phone rang. He sighed as he pulled it out of its holster. “Awww, man!” he said when he looked at the number. “It’s Mr. Mathis, the developer. With all this drama, I forgot about our meeting.”

  Rick pushed the Talk button. “Hello, Mr. Mathis.” He paused. “I know and I am very sorry, but something came up…I know, sir.” He cut his eyes at Nina. “I understand I was supposed to be bringing you the money, but like I said…” He began pacing back and forth. “No, I’m very serious. I know you have other people interested, but remember, I’m talking cash.” He massaged his temple, wincing at what the man was saying to him. “I understand. Yes, sir. Just give me a couple of days…. No, I’m not going out of town now…okay, one week. Next Friday, got it. I will definitely have the money for you by next Friday.”